Meet the therapy dog heading to Georgia to comfort school shooting victims
Updated: 3:53 PM CDT Sep 7, 2024
INITIAL CALL HAS TO RESPOND. AND TODAY, AN ORANGE COUNTY MAN IS DOING HIS PART TO HELP THE PEOPLE WHO WERE IMPACTED BY THAT SCHOOL SHOOTING IN GEORGIA. WESH 2’S BOB HAZEN IS LIVE AT ORLANDO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. BOB. HE’S FLYING OUT TODAY WITH HIS THERAPY DOG. YEAH, AND THIS IS A VERY SPECIAL DOG THERE TO HELP SOME KIDS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS AFTER THAT TERRIBLE TRAGEDY IN GEORGIA AND I WANT TO INTRODUCE YOU RIGHT NOW TO THAT DOG’S OWNER, BEAR BERMAN. AND IF YOU LOOK DOWN BELOW, YOU SEE THE DOG, MACY, VERY RELAXED HERE IN THE AIRPORT, DESPITE ALL THE CONFUSION AND CHAOS THAT USUALLY HAPPENS AT THE AIRPORT. BUT BEAR, YOU GUYS ARE HEADING TO GEORGIA TODAY TO TALK TO FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY, TALK ABOUT WHAT KIND OF THINGS MACY IS GOING TO BE DOING, WHAT YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO BE DOING FOR THE PEOPLE THERE. SO OUR OUR MISSION IS STRENGTH THROUGH COMFORT. SO WE’RE GOING TO BRING THE DOGS. WE’RE GOING TO MEET WITH FIRST RESPONDERS. WE’RE GOING TO MEET WITH THE THE MEDICAL STAFF. WE’RE GOING TO GO BY GRADY HOSPITAL AND CHECK IN ON THEM. AND, AND MACY’S TALENT IS TO BREAK DOWN A LINE OF COMMUNICATION FOR ME OR TO OPEN IT UP SO THAT I CAN WORK WITH SOMEBODY THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY THE BY THE EVENTS OF THE TRAGEDY. A LOT OF PEOPLE DON’T KNOW THEY’VE BEEN AFFECTED. THEY DON’T REALIZE HOW MUCH EMOTIONAL BAGGAGE THEY MAY HAVE INSIDE BECAUSE THEY THINK EVERYTHING’S OKAY AND THEY’LL DEAL WITH IT. AND THE INTERACTION WITH THE DOG WILL LOWER THEIR BLOOD PRESSURE, LOWER THEIR HEART RATE, LOWER THEIR CORTISOL, AND RAISE THEIR OXYTOCIN. AND IT WILL HELP BRING OUT THAT EMOTION. AND THEY CAN REALIZE THAT WE’RE HERE FOR THEM. WE’RE GOING TO HELP THEM FIND THE RESOURCES THAT THEY MAY NEED TO GET THROUGH THIS EVENT. AND THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN THROUGH A LOT OF TRAUMA AND STRESS THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS. HOW DOES MACY DO THAT? HOW DOES SHE BREAK DOWN THOSE BARRIERS? IT’S THE WONDERFULNESS OF MACY AND IT’S NOT JUST MACY. WE HAVE 110 DOGS ACROSS THE COUNTRY THAT ARE ON OUR TEAM, AND THEY’RE ALL VETTED, AND THEY ALL SHOW THE RIGHT TEMPERAMENT. THE RIGHT SKILL SET, THE RIGHT BEHAVIORS TO BE ABLE TO INTERACT WITH YOU. AND BASICALLY IT’S WARMING YOUR HEART AND OPENING THAT LINE OF COMMUNICATION SO DAD CAN DO WHAT HE DOES. AND MACY, DO YOU HOW DOES SHE ACT WHEN SHE’S DOING THIS? WHAT DOES SHE DO PHYSICALLY WITH THESE PEOPLE WHEN SHE’S THERE TO HELP COMFORT THEM? SHE ON A COMMAND. SHE WILL GO OVER AND ENGAGE WITH YOU. SHE MAY DO WHAT WE CALL A HEAD HUG WHERE SHE PRESSES HER HEAD BETWEEN YOUR KNEES, AND SHE MAY WORK HER WAY RIGHT BETWEEN YOUR LEGS, AND WANT YOU TO RUB HER -- AND JUST WITH US TALKING, YOU’RE SMILING, LAUGHING ABOUT IT. BECAUSE SHE DID IT TO YOU WHEN SHE MET YOU. AND. AND THAT TACTILE INTERACTION CAUSES THE BODY’S RESPONSES AND IT’S A HAPPY MOMENT IN THE DAY. AND, BARRETT, WHAT DO YOU GET OUT OF THIS AS WELL? WHY DO YOU DO THIS? WHY ARE YOU SO PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS? WELL, I COME FROM 11 YEARS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT, FIVE YEARS IN FIRE RESCUE. I’M THE GUY THAT I WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE’S OKAY AND THIS IS MY WAY OF GIVING BACK. I HAD A GREAT CAREER. I WANT TO GIVE BACK. I WANT TO STAY ACTIVE. I WANT TO BE THE GUY THAT’S THERE FOR YOUR NEED. I HAVE SOME KNOWLEDGE OF HOW TO GET YOU TO WHERE YOU NEED TO BE, AND IT’S KIND OF NO, NO DIFFERENT THAN A TRAFFIC COP. HE’LL GIVE YOU DIRECTIONS AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE I GET YOU THE RESOURCES THAT YOU MAY NEED. AND YOU MAY NOT KNOW YOU NEED THEM UNTIL WE MEET AND MACY OPENS THAT DOOR COMMUNICATION. AND THEN WE FIND OUT THAT YOU YOU MAY NEED THIS PARTICULAR TYPE OF COUNSELING OR YOU MAY NEED HOUSING, OR YOU MAY NEED TRANSPORTATION TO GET TO THE HOSPITAL TO VISIT YOUR LOVED ONE. AND WE’RE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU GET THOSE. MAYOR, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR TALKING TO US. GOOD LUCK ON THIS MISSION TO GEORGIA. WE APPRECIATE THAT. ON THAT MISSION TO TALK TO THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, FIRST RESPONDERS AND ALL THOSE PEOPLE IMPACTED BY THAT SHOOTING AT THE HIGH SCHOOL OR T
Meet the therapy dog heading to Georgia to comfort school shooting victims
Updated: 3:53 PM CDT Sep 7, 2024
Her name is Macy, and she spends her time comforting others. The therapy dog and her handler, Bear Berman, are heading to Georgia to help those who survived the deadly school shooting earlier this week."Our mission is strength through comfort," Berman said. Berman said Macy's talent is opening up lines of communication so he can work with people who may not realize just how impacted they are by horrific events."The interaction with the dog will lower their blood pressure, lower their heart rate, lower their cortisol and raise their oxytocin, and it'll help bring out that emotion," Berman said. "And they can realize that we're here for them; we're going to help them find the resources that they may need to get through this event."Macy has helped people deal with tragedy after some of the most heartbreaking mass shootings that we have seen in recent years. She is 8 years old. Berman and Macy are part of a group called Crisis Response Canines.The duo lives in Orange County.
ORLANDO, Fla. — Her name is Macy, and she spends her time comforting others.
The therapy dog and her handler, Bear Berman, are heading to Georgia to help those who survived the deadly school shooting earlier this week.
"Our mission is strength through comfort," Berman said.
Berman said Macy's talent is opening up lines of communication so he can work with people who may not realize just how impacted they are by horrific events.
"The interaction with the dog will lower their blood pressure, lower their heart rate, lower their cortisol and raise their oxytocin, and it'll help bring out that emotion," Berman said. "And they can realize that we're here for them; we're going to help them find the resources that they may need to get through this event."
Macy has helped people deal with tragedy after some of the most heartbreaking mass shootings that we have seen in recent years. She is 8 years old.
Berman and Macy are part of a group called Crisis Response Canines.
The duo lives in Orange County.